Striping device for automobile bodies



Oct. 18, 1932. R. z, HOPKINS ET AL STRIPING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILE BODIES Filed April 23, 1928 Z-/Zbfefzl'orsv Z. Hopkwa. Een); S8 l y MM @www1/ 1 Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNHED" STA YES *PATENT GFFICJE' f RALPH z. Horxrivsnnn EARL 'FEN'TON sii-ann, or ijnrnoinMiciiIc-AN, 'Assiefivons ro HUDSON MOTOR OAR COMPANY, or -nnriioi'iz MIOHiGAN, Ak ooitPoRii'iio 1v or MICHIGAN s'rnrrine DEVICE VFor. VMfroiaoiaiitn BODIES Application ined April 28,

- V-Thisin'vention relates to a deviceor apparatus for striping automobile bodies and is adapted particularly for applying" a stripe to or along4 the belt panel molding or window reveals of said body. l

An object of the invention is vto provide a device or apparatusl of the foregoing charl acter capable of producing an even and continuous stripe upon an automobile body, and

lsurface being stripedf This construction tends to-induce a uniform application-of pressure by the Workman in order to operate the device thereby resulting in the formation of a more uniform stripe-and hence enabling the work to be done-more eiiiciently by unskilled labor. 'i

The above and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description Vand appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts-in the'several-views.Y 1 Y Y one form yof applicator which may be em- In said drawing: Y VFig. 1 is a perspective view-of the device of our invention. Y

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the device of Fig. 1.-V Y

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the applicator and guide embodying Ourinvention, with the parts extended for the purposes of clearness.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the clamp and adjusting screwfor the pen.

Fig. 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 ofFigS. Y n

6 is a side elevation ofthe applicator provided with aimodified ormof guiding device. i Y

`1928. serial' No. 272,872; f

Y Fig. 7V is a' plan view takenalongjthe line .l y

Before explaining 'in detail the present inv vention, and the method or mode orf-operation embodiedv therein, it is to beunderstood that terminology employed herein is for thepur- Y pose of description vand notof limitation,

and it is not intended `to ylimit-the invention beyond the terms of the several claims hereto appended or the requirements of the prior art. V

invention comprises preferably abody portion 10 .havinga reservoir 1l provided with a removable cap or closure12 having an air ventlS therein. "Ahandle 14 depends below the body portion.Vv The body portion :is additionally provided with a forwardly entending threaded nipple 15 Vand alrearwardly eX- tending threaded nipple 16, and with afrearward extension 17. The reservoiris separated fromFthe-interior ot the body `portion by means oi'ia partition wall or diaphragm 11a having therein one or more apertures 11b to permit iiuid'. to pass from the reservoir to thebody. o 1 i;

Threaded upon theiorward nipple 15 is ployed comprising a relatively fixed portion 18 Vand a rotatable portion 19, these parts being held together bymeans of ya ring 20 and being mounted for relative non-irictional rotation through the medium'oi'* an interposed set of ball bearings 21. The rotatable portion19 of the applicator carries a pair of piv- 'oted Vnibs 22, 22 which together-provide the adjustable pen of 'the present applicator. These nibs are preferably hingedat-23 to the portion 19. 'A feed tubeg24c extends through n the partsV 18 andv 19 tozapointadjacent theV The striping device or apparatus of our whereby the nibs may be adjusted relatively to one another and to the feed tube 24.

The rear nipple 16 is provided with an apertured cap 27 threaded on to the nipple and positioned between this cap and the nipple is packing material of any suitable character 28. A needle valve'29 having' a step 30 eX- tends through the cap and nipples-16 and 15 and is adapted lto seat in the conical inner end of the feed tube 24. The stem carries a pair of fixed stops 31 and 32. The rear body eX- tension 17 is internally threaded to receive an adjusting screw 33 bored to receive ak coil spring 34 which surrounds the-valvestem 30 and which engages the stop 32. By turning the s crew 33 against the action of the spring 34 it will be seen that the valve 29 is yieldingly 'maintained against its seat. Y

' the applicator.

An operating lever 35 1s provided for opening the valve 29 in order to'supply fluid'inl proper amount to the pen in vaccordance with the speed at whichthe device is moved over the body panel. This .lever is pivoted by means of a. pivote screw 36 to the body portion 17 and comprisesa forwardly bent arm 37 terminating in a thumb piece or button 38 in position to bepressed by the thumb of the workman when vgrasping the handle 14. The inner end 39 ofthe lever extends between the stop 31 and the capl 27 -By pressing the butkton38-the end 39 of. the lever will force the stop 31 and hence the valve stem 30` rearwardly against the action of the spring unseating the valve tol permit flow of fluid `to lt will be noted that the operating device 35 which controls the valve may be actuated during the striping operation .to increase or decrease the amount of paint applied to the body'. This is important in enabling the amountof paint fed by gravity to the pen to be increased or decreased in accordance with the speed in which the device is moved by the operator over the body. inasmuch as the operators thumb engages the thumb piece 38 during the striping operation, as he increases thespeed in which the device is moved over the body, it is merely necessary to operate the valve 29 which will result in more paintbeing forced by gravity into the pen. Thus, it will be seen that the device 35 provides means under the control of the operator for regulating the amount of paint being fed to the pen in proportion to the speed in which the device is moved over the surface of the body.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the guide in the present instance comprises preferably a socket portion 40 pivotally connected at 41 to an extension 20d of the ring 20, the socket portion being, preferably, rectangular in cross section. Mounted within the socket` portion for sliding movement longitudinally thereof is a second socket member 42 also rectangular in cross section which member carries a coil spring 43. The member 42 is provided on one side with a longitudinally extending slot 44. The guide member proper is shownat 45 and is provided with a shank 46 having a transverse pin 47 which projects through the slot 44. The inner end of the shank is engaged by the spring 43, which tends to maintain it normally projected, the pin 47 limiting the movement of the shank in both directions. The second socket member v42 is adjustable in the socket 40 and is maintained in any desired adjusted position by means of a screw 48.

The guide is adjusted relative to the pen by means of a toggle construction 49 which comprises two pairs of links connected with In Figs. 6 and 7 we have shown a modified form of guide in which the guide is bodily adjustable toward and from the pen. The lowermost pen nib 22 is provided with a pair of depending rods 55 secured at their upper ends at `56 to the pen nib anfd being bridged f at their lower ends preferably by a horizontalbar 57. The guide device of these iigures Vcomprises a socket member 58 having on its opposite sides slots 59 andl on its inner side with an apertured lug or projection 60 and a slottedrlug or projection 61. Positioned within the socket is a coil spring 62 which engages the rear end thereof and the inner end of a stem or plunger 63 which carries the guide element proper 64 which Vmay be in the form of a ring as shown. Thev stem 63 is provided with a pin 65 projecting'through the slots 59. It will thus be seentliat the guide is bodily adjustable toward and from the pen andvslides along the rods 55, and is maintained in any desired adjusted position by means of an adjusting screw 66 `which when rotated expands or contracts the slotted lug or projection 61 causing it to release or grip the rod 55 with which itis in engagement.

l/Vhen applying a stripe along or adjacent the belt panel BP of the panel B, the guide 45 or 64 will be adjusted in proper position so as to travel along the belt panel moulding. The position of the stripe with relation to the moulding Bl? will be determined by the relative positions of the guide and applicator.

We claim:

1. In a striping device for automobile bodies", aV body portion having a reservoir, a striping applicator connected with said rcservoir, a yieldable guide pivotally connected 'to the body'portion to swing into various adcator, and means for maintaining the guide in adjusted position.

2. In a striping device of the class described, a reservoir for striping fluid, an applicator communicating therewith, a yieldlable guide engageable with the body to be striped, and means for supporting said guide for adjustment about the longitudinal axis of the applicator.

3. In a striping device of the class described, a reservoir for striping fluid, an applicator, a feed conduit from the reservoir into said applicator, a guide engagable with the body to be striped for guiding the device in its movement, and means for adjusting said guide with respect to the reservoir into positions at different sides of said feed conduit.

4. In a striping device of the class described, in combination, a reservoir for striping fluid, an applicator communicating therewith for forming a stripe, a guide adapted to engage a part of the surface to be striped, and means for supporting said guide to permit adjustment thereof about the longitudinal axis of the applicator.

5. In a striping device of the class described, in combination, a reservoir for striping fluid, an applicator communicating there` with for forming a stripe, and guide adapted to engage the body to be striped and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the applicator.

6. In a striping device for automobile bodies or the like, a reservoir for striping fluid, an applicator communicating therewith for applying a stripe to the body, a guide adapted to pivctally a part of said body to guide the device, means for adjusting the guide toward and from said body, and for maintaining the guide in adjusted position, and means for yieldingly mounting the guide.

7. In a striping device for automobile bodies, a body portion, a reservoir, a handle for said device, a feed conduit extending forwardly from said'body portion and communicating with said reservoir, a striping pen detachably connected with said body surrounding said feed tube and free to rotate thereabout, and guide means carried by said device for guiding the pen in use.

8. In a striping device for automobilev bodies, a body portion, a reservoir, a feed tube communicating with said reservoir, a striping pen connected with said body surrounding said feed tube and free to rotate thereabout and adjustable resiliently supported guide means pivot-ally connected to said device for guiding the pen in use. j

9. InV a striping device for automobile bodies, a. body portion, a reservoir, a feed conduit communicating with said reservoir, a striping applicator connected with said body surrounding said feed tube and free to rotate thereabout, and guide means carried by said applicator and rotatable therewith for guidin the same in use.

10. n a striping device for automobile bodies, a body portion, a reservoir, a feed conduit communicating with said reservoir, a striping applicator connectedwith said body surrounding said feed tube and free to rotate thereabout, guide means carried by said applicator for guiding the same in use, and means for adjusting said guide means relative to said applicator. n

11. In a striping device for automobile bodies, a body portion, a reservoir, a .feed

tube communicating with said reservoir, a

striping applicator connected with said body surrounding said feed tube and free to rotate thereabout, guide means carried by said body portion for guiding the same in use, and means for adjusting said guide means bodily relative to said applicator.

12. YIn a striping device for automobile bodies, a body portion, a reservoir, a feed tube communicating with said reservoir, a striping pen connected with said body surrounding said feed tube and free to rotate thereabout, a frame carried by said pen and rotatable therewith, and a guide carried by the frame for guiding the pen in use, said guide being bodily movable thereon towardr and from the pen.

13. In a striping device for automobile` bodies, a body portion, a. reservoir, a feed tube communicating with said reservoir, a striping pen connected with said body surrounding said feed tube and free to rotate thereabout, a frame carried by the said pen and rotatable therewith, a guide carried by said frame for guiding the pen in use, said guide being bodily adjustable thereon toward and from the pen, and means for locking the guide in adjusted position.

14. In a striping device for automobile bodies or the like, a reservoir for striping fluid, an applicator for forming a stripe, a conduit for supplying fluid to the applicator from said reservoir, means for supporting said applicator to turn about the longitudinal axis of said conduit, and guide means carried by said applicator for guiding the applicator in use.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures.

RALPH Z. HOPKINS. EARL FENTON SEGER. 

